'These flavors belong in snow cones': Students advocate for stricter nicotine laws in North Carolina

North Carolina students outside the legislature Wednesday handed out colorful snow cones to highlight Solly’s Law. 

The bill is named for Solomon Wynn, a 15-year-old Wilmington student who died in 2023 after a vaping-related illness. 

The colorful snow cones were meant to symbolize the flavorings often added to make products like vapes more appealing.

“Four of my best friends vape. I am around it every day,” said Be Lanier. 

The 16-year-old joined other students on Wednesday at the legislature to advocate for the bill, which has been stalled in the House Rules Committee since April 2025. The students had signage that reads, "These flavors belong in [snow] cones, not nicotine!"

“These vapes have toxic, toxic chemicals in them but what’s appealing are the flavors. We need to get that out and we need to raise the age to 21,” Lanier said. 

The bill's primary sponsor state Rep. Donnie Loftis, R-Gaston, shared it would do two main things. First, align North Carolina law with the federal minimum sales age of 21 for nicotine products. Second, impose a $400 licensing fee to businesses who sell nicotine products.

“The license fee is to help fund so that Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) can do their enforcement: undercover buys, the training – all that type of stuff has to come from somewhere,” Loftis explained. 

Loftis acknowledged there has been pushback to the proposed fee. 

“Currently, we’re working with the National Federation of Independent Business, who are representing their groups well. They don’t want another $400 license,” Loftis shared. 

WRAL News visited a Raleigh vape shop located just steps from an ABC store. While both businesses require customers to be 21 or older, supporters of Solly's Law argue nicotine retailers should face the same type of state oversight as alcohol retailers.

Shaffy Sing, owner of Revolution Smoke & Vape, said he supports bringing North Carolina law in line with federal regulations. He added that his store has only sold nicotine products to customers 21 and older since 2019.

“You don’t want to cause problems where these kids who are underage are getting a hold of these products and they are going to start telling their friends and they start hitting up your store,” Sing said. “I don’t think the fee itself would be a burden as long as it’s a pretty streamline process. If it makes everyone else compliant then I’m all for it.”

Sing said his employees are directed to “scan every ID” to verify a customer’s age. 

“When you know you’re abiding by the law then you can sleep well at night,” Sing said. “You don’t need to worry about selling to someone who is underage, or law enforcement coming to knock on your door.”

Loftis acknowledged the bill may be unlikely to pass in this year’s session. He told WRAL News, “I’m fully intending to continue this process and it will be one of the first bills filed next  year when we come back.”

The WRAL documentary, "Gen V: Teen Vaping in North Carolina," investigates the alarming rise of teen vaping across the state.

It features interviews with young people, health experts, parents and policymakers, revealing the growing epidemic of nicotine addiction among teenagers.

From high schoolers vaping in bathrooms and classrooms to the devastating impact on families, the documentary sheds light on how vaping has infiltrated the lives of young people.